please me, tea-se me. (Twinings Lady Grey)

Member Name: Bryn Pearson

Product:	Twinings Lady Grey
Date:	11/02/03 (153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: unusual flavour, low caffeine

Disadvantages: horrible when stewed for too long

I can't honestly remember the last time I had a cup of 'ordinary' tea, but I think we're talking years here. It was entierly due to the bloke I married (although we weren't married then.) He has a taste for unusual and exotic teas and it wasn't long before I succumbed. I can't claim that Lady Grey is my favourite tea, but it is certainly one that I like and keep coming back to.

Lady Grey - this is a light tea without much caffeine in it, which is good if you are worrying about your blood pressure, or trying to cut back or keep your caffeine intake minimal. In common with Earl Grey tea, it has bergamot oil in it - not a vast amount in this case. It also has some citrusey additions, which give it a sharp and unusual taste. If you like sticking a slice of lemon in your tea, then Lady Grey may well be just the thing for you.

Preparation - if you have a horde of tea drinkers, you might want to make a pot, but I find usually its just me. As the tea can be bought in bags, it makes up in the cup readily enough. One tea bag, pour over boiling water. Leave for maybe a minute. This is not, in my expereince, a tea that benefits from being left for a long time. The longer you leave it, the more tannin comes out of the tea bag, and this doesn't go with the citrus that well - you end up with a very bitter tea. For best effect then, a brief encounter between water and bag will suffice. You can add milk, but just a dash - any more than that and again it doesn't compliment the citrus taste. It is very drinkable without milk.

Packaging - very good, lots of information about the tea including origin (china) flavour (delicate citrus) and preperation suggestions. They also tell you which other teas its most akin to, which is helpful if you are trying to work out what else you might like.

Availability - you can get Twinings teas in most supermarkets, so Lady Grey isn't hard to track down. You can buy it in boxes
of fifty for a few pounds. (The number that springs to mind is £2.16, but don't quote me on that as I get through teas relatively slowly.)

If you like Earl Grey, light teas, cirtrus or just want to try something new, give this one a go. If you loathe citrus or fear change, avoid it.

I will add that I've only ever seen Lady Grey as a Twinings tea. While Earl Grey can be bought as an own brand, I've not encountered anyone else making this type of blend. (please mention it in the comments if you know otherwise.)

Having been an avid drinker of interesting teas, I really can't remember how I ever thought that ordinary tea was any good at all. Speciality teas have much more flavour and character, they vary, so you can buy a few boxes and have a change in what you drink on a frequent basis. The different tastes allow you to pick something to suit your mood. For me, Lady Grey will always be an afternoon drink, while I like a cup of Earl grey in the evening, a Yunnan if I need a pick up, a Chamomile if I need to sleep etc. (It is of course inevtiable that at some point choice of tea is going to become one of those fashionable lifestyle things, at which point I shall feel smug.)

Twinings make excellent teas, Lady Grey is no exception.

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